


Variable

by SimpleSisypheanTask



Category: Blade (Movie Series), Blade - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: 'Cause Hannibal, 'Cause it's Blade, 'Cause me, As if there is any other version, BAMF Blade, BAMF oc, Black Character(s), Canon Character of Color, Character(s) of Color, Cute, Damnit Hannibal!, Damnit Logan!, Damnit....just everyone is a mess, Dear lord this fandom is small, F/M, Female Character of Color, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Inappropriate Humor, Meet-Cute, Mutant Powers, Other, Sexual Content, Sexual Humor, She takes no shit, Someone spread the word of this fic, Swearing, The Author Regrets Everything, They are both one hundred percent done with the over-sexed vamps, Vampires, X Mansion, sinning is winning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-07-11 21:31:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7071154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimpleSisypheanTask/pseuds/SimpleSisypheanTask
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blade just wanted to keep the world safe. He didn't even know he was getting in her way. When he did, he found he liked the results.</p><p> </p><p>  <em>"I hate leaving the mansion, pal. Hate it! If you're going to, I dunno, wreck these bitches, and fuck up some shit all the time, can you swing a message my way so I don't have to leave my home next time?"</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno. I've always been a fan of the Blade series, even though when it came out, I was _way_ too young to be watching Wesley Snipes slash people apart like a hot knife through butter.

"Tell me, Daywalker, what makes you think you can kill me?" 

It was a typical day, really. Breakfast was spent with listening to Abigail and Hannibal make snarky remarks toward one another as they tried to hide their mutual feelings of affection. Lunch was spent meditating and then doing inventory over the remaining amount of serum, maybe even listen to Zoe tell one of the stories her mother told her. Dinner was spent listening to Hannibal make dick jokes while Abigail filled him in on a vampire hangout spot that needed to be obliterated. The usual. 

Now, in the dimly lit, foul-smelling abandoned building that was supposed to act as a nightclub of sorts, there was _this fool._

"I am hundreds of years old! You are but a child, _a baby_ , compared to me! I could rip you apart, and - "

That was all the narcissistic vampire could manage to get out before Eric Brooks, better known as Blade, sliced him in half. The nameless, unimportant, and _dead_ vampire's lover - who had been writhing around on the floor in what was likely meant to be a seductive way - screeched in both fury and fear. If he cared, Blade would have felt sorry. But, he didn't, so he did not. 

"Your turn," Blade said, turning his gleaming sword in the direction of the female, ready to slice her apart too. They'd fed on three teenagers, ripping the throats of the poor humans out, and that was something Blade would have to be in the grave to overlook. Sometimes, stupid humans deserved getting fed on for being exactly where they knew they shouldn't, but children were innocent. 

The vampire leaped to her feet and hissed, her icy blue eyes narrowed. "Fuck you, Daywalker! I'm going to kill you!" She lunged, arms outreaching as if she would be luckier than her lover in this song and dance that Blade was far too adept at. 

She wasn't. 

As Blade wiped the blood from his Adamantium sword, Hannibal and Abigail made their way into the room. He didn't bother looking up at them. They didn't expect him to. 

"Oh, c'mon," Hannibal immediately whined. "We wanted to watch this time as you turned the _fang-tastic whore_ into ash! You know, Abby here was dying to get a peek!" 

As one would surmise, Abigail didn't find Hannibal funny - at least, not outwardly. "Shut the fuck up. Let's get going. I want to actually get around four hours of sleep tonight."

" _Four hours?_ What, are you going into hibernation? Fuck, Mama Bear..." Abigail rolled her eyes at the sudden nickname being thrown at her. Hannibal grinned. "And, ya know, _Fuck Mama Bear_."

Blade wondered why he bothered hanging around with these kids. He felt like the world's most deadly third wheel.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What the - What the actual fuck?!" Kianna Jones screamed into the silent building. Blood was everywhere, coating the walls thickly as the paint must have long ago - and that was to be expected in an underground vampire club. Bodies of familiars littered the floor, necks angled in weird positions, as if snapped. Some had gunshot wounds or had arrows sticking out of them. It all just added to the red, sticky pool on the floor. Mixed into the gory mess were charred bits and pieces that would have turned anyone's stomach. 

Kianna wasn't anyone. 

_Who the hell did this? Damn it, I was supposed to get the drop on these motherfuckers first! Professor X is going to kill me..._ The woman of average height with her hair pulled back in an afro-puff ponytail glared around her. Not a single one of the bodies on the floor showed any sign of life, so calling in Phoenix or the professor would be a waste of time. 

"Now I've gotta go home empty handed," Kianna grumbled, turning on her heel and stomping out of the room before the cops decided to make an appearance. "Fuckin' vamps, ruining what was supposed to be my damn night off..."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Three weeks, and many kills later, it was yet another typical day. Hannibal accidentally and horribly insulted Abigail at breakfast instead of complimenting her, and Blade was pleased to see the hilarious way in which she ripped him a new one. It wasn't until lunchtime where the poor man was able to reconcile with the huntress. Blade was disappointed his entertainment ended so soon. By dinner, guess who had another spot they needed to crash into?

"These guys have been making moves to begin their own human farm," Abigail said, her voice hardening at the thought of yet another of those cruel places being constructed. 

It didn't take anymore convincing for Blade. He was always ready to kill a vampire. 

As typical days go, Blade was forced to listen to another speech from a vampire who thought they were going to survive. Blade already had his sword out, really to silence the female as soon as the Nightstalkers made there way to him - he was trying to compromise and allow them to question the heads of these groups. Regardless, Blade was utterly pissed about the way this particular "Queen" was acting. Did she not realize that literally _all _of her friend were either dead or dying at her feet? How could they be so cold and uncaring? If one of his - _no. _He couldn't think about that. He'd already lost Whistler.____

____"Shut the hell up!" Blade finally snapped, taking his sunglasses off. He pointed them at the vampire. "What is up with all of y'all going on and on? Can't y'all die quietly for once?"_ _ _ _

____"How dare you! I am - "_ _ _ _

____The sound of footsteps caught Blade's attention. They were soft, but undoubtedly there. His warm brown eyes looked around for the source. The vampire in front of him shrieked about his rudeness and refusal to, "gaze upon _real power. _" Blade held up a gloved hand, trying to quiet her so he could hear whoever was approaching them at a leisurely pace.___ _ _ _

______Not even a second later, the vampire was made into a small pile of ash, her screams echoing longer than she remained._ _ _ _ _ _

______Blade stared, unable to comprehend what he just witnessed. How was he going to explain this to the Nightstalkers? "What the - "_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Yeah, I know," a disembodied voice said, sounding pissed off. A sigh filled the air as Blade gripped his sword even tighter. The voice unexpectedly took on a mocking tone, " _'What the literal fuck, bro? Like, how'd she die, man? Was that magic? Oh, my god, it was a ghost!'_ Haha! Could you imagine ghosts being real? That'd freakin' suck!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Who the hell are you? Show yourself!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Another sigh. "Fine. Just don't...hack me to pieces, 'kay? Like, I just got the bloodstains from last week's battle with Magneto's goons. I ain't trying to explain to Logan that I was sent to fight some vamps without him."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Before Blade could make a remark about not giving a flying fuck about this Logan guy, his breath caught in his throat. A gorgeous black woman with thick hair pulled back into a ponytail stood before him, an afro-puff giving her a youthful look even though the grim look in her dark brown eyes showed she was far from her days of childhood. Full lips that pursed in expectation of a wild reaction from him made a surprising stirring in Blade's gut. Although she was the one to kill his target, Blade couldn't see a weapon of any kind on her. He didn't like how warm the sight of the latex suit the woman wore clung to every curve of her body. Since when did he last have these feelings?_ _ _ _ _ _

______Oh, yeah, _when he last saw Karen. _____ _ _ _ _

________"Are you the dude who has been shredding to shit all of my missions?" the woman snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you know how inconveniencing it is to have to mentally prep myself to go out and kill these guys, suit up and walk in only to find that there is no action for me? Hmm? _Do you?_ " She didn't wait for him to answer. Blade realized his hand not holding his sword was still hovering in the air, glasses pointed in the direction of the mysterious woman. "I hate leaving the mansion, pal. Hate it! If you're going to, I dunno, wreck these bitches, and fuck up some shit all the time, can you swing a message my way so I don't have to leave my home next time?" Her right hand went into her pocket and she fished out a disposable phone. It was tossed carefully on the floor between them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He blinked at it and then at her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Great, you've gone mute. What, is this your first time seeing a mutant? Screw you, you judgemental bitch! I'm a mutant and proud. You don't see me judging you for being a hybrid - that's what you are, right? Like, I am pretty sure that after looking at you, you're that Knife guy."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Blade didn't know whether to correct her about his name or the fact that he wasn't anti-mutant._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________She didn't even give him a chance. The woman shook her head, gave him one last disapproving look and then disappeared as quickly as she appeared. The only sign of her presence in the room was the slow footsteps of hers that led to an ajar window in the little basement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Oh, really? Didn't we have a talk about this?" Hannibal's voice cut into the room. "You were supposed to wait for us before you executed Mary Antoinette!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"...I did."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why do ya smell like blood?"

Kianna did her best to keep from flinching or sniffing herself. Even after a long, hot shower, Logan was still able to smell the scent of the vampires and their familiars that she had to kill on her way into the vampire club. Damn his keen senses! "Why do you smell like beer? It's only 10:00AM."

"That's late enough." 

"For severe alcoholics, I guess."

"Shut up. You makin' lunch or what?"

"It's Scott and Piotr's turn to make lunch."

Logan grumbled, his attention to Kianna's scent expertly diverted. It was her second victory within the past 24 hours, and that felt pretty damn good. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek into Kianna's life, and a peek into Blade's mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Missions, lunches and dreams.

"Fuck you, man! I told you to call me or somethin'!" 

Blade watched the anonymous woman stand on top of a snarling, wriggling vampire. He made sure to count, "body density manipulation," as one of powers she had along with her ability to vanish from sight in an instant. It was the first run-in he had with the beauty since she'd left him unable to speak. 

"What? You still can't speak?" A frustrated grumble left downturned lips. "Hold up," she commanded, giving Blade a stern look. He was pleased to know she wasn't aware of how her mere presence made him go at a stand-still. That was one weakness that wasn't revealed to her, at least. The woman stepped off the vampire's back, clicked the heel of her left foot against the floor and produced a blade at the tip. Quickly, the woman kicked the vampire in the throat as they made a move to get up, effectively ending the vampire's life. 

Blade was hard as a rock. He angled his body so that it was less noticeable. Shit, if she ever noticed it...

"Anyway," she huffed, "You gotta call me, man. I'm tired of this shit. I don't want to keep leaving - Do you know how often Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters blows up? Like, once a year, _if we're so fortunate._ " Her hands went to her hips, brown eyes glaring at Blade. He was wearing his sunglasses this time, making it hard to tell where he was looking. "You ain't even listenin', are you?"

_I am._

"Screw it. I'm leaving. Bye, Knife." She turned her back on him, disappearing. 

"Blade." 

She was visible again, looking over her shoulder at him curiously. "Blade?"

"Blade."

"Oh." No embarrassment flickered over her face. She seemed too good at controlling herself from making those human movements. "I'm Kianna... Kianna Jones." She tilted her head in a polite nod. "Bye, Blade."

He nodded right back. _Bye, Kianna_.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Blade stared at the phone in his hand. Downstairs, he could hear Zoe trying to read Hannibal the story of _Alice In Wonderland _, but that was going about as smoothly as anyone could expect. Abigail was in her room, making a playlist for their next hunt, which Blade guessed would be tonight. He didn't mind. He never did, but it was for a different reason this time.__

___"Call me or somethin'!"_ a husky yet sweet tone echoed in his mind. _ _

__Blade's thumb hovered over the lonely contact that he set up to display Kianna's name. As he stared at it, it felt almost like looking into her narrowed eyes. He had to look away and collect himself before another cold shower was needed. When he set his eyes on the phone again, he noticed that his thumb had involuntarily pressed down onto her name, highlighting it. The screen lit up, displaying a screen that said, "Calling Kianna..." as if that wasn't the most earth-shattering thing to do at the moment. Blade's eyes widened as the sound of ringing assaulted his ears. Is this what a heart attack felt like?_ _

___"Yeah? Hello?"_ _ _

__Blade pressed the phone to his ear, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to admit to his accidental calling because 1) Blade didn't make mistakes and 2) _fuckfuckfuckfuck_ her sleepy voice was sexy. But, why did she sound so tired? Did she often have to wake up in the middle of her slumber to handle a mission he already had under control? "Hey." _ _

__A pause. _"Blade? What's up?"_ She sounded much more alert now, and even _happy_. That was something he didn't hear often. "You about to handle a mission?"_ _

__"Yeah." He had terrible skills with communicating already. Over-the-phone conversations weren't any better._ _

__"Well, thanks for calling!" The laugh that came from her end of the line made Blade crack the smallest of grins. She had a cute laugh. It was loud, bubbly and breathless, like what she just said made her night. It probably did. "Call me or text me when it's over, 'kay? Gotta make sure you're all right and everything."_ _

__That was shocking. When was the last time someone worried about Blade being able to handle his own? Right. _Karen, Whistler..._ Both were no longer in the picture. "Yeah."_ _

__"Cool. Talk to ya later." And with that, she hung up._ _

__Blade held the now silent phone to his ear for a while before he headed for the bathroom, stripping as he went. The cold shower was very necessary now._ _

__Three hours later, when sitting in the backseat of Hannibal's truck, Blade pulled out his phone and texted Kianna. Not even a minute later, she sent back, _Glad it went well. Keep up the good work, Mr. Swordsman.__ There was a peace sign emoji after it. _

__Abigail pretended to not notice the way Blade stared at his phone the entire ride. If she did, Hannibal would stop his story neither of them were listening to, and would question Blade. Abigail figured that Blade deserved some privacy after they'd practically guilt-tripped him into living with them, made him put up with their bickering and put his life on the line nearly every night._ _

__"...And that dick-waffle, that super-mega-titanic _cunt_ , that - that fuckin' jerkoff, he had the nerve to tell me that my hair looked dirty! Can you believe that?"_ _

__Robotic and vague mumbles filled the air as soon as there was a pause. Hannibal continued to rant._ _

__~*~*~*~*~*~_ _

Kianna glared at Bobby Drake, who was passing notes to Rogue in the middle of her Economics class. She disappeared in an instant, some students stiffening in fear. Kianna slipped through the rows of desks until she came to the back of the classroom. Without further ado, she snatched the note from Bobby out of Rogue's hand, materialized and stalked away. She didn't read the note out loud or to herself. She'd never do that. There were some things that she felt crossed the line in the classroom, and revealing secrets of teens was one of them. 

For all she knew, Bobby could have been coming out to Rogue. 

"Now, as I was saying," Kianna started up again, pointing more insistently at the chalkboard. "If you were to start your own company, you would need to make a yearly income of..."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Want some coffee?" Ororo asked, leaning on the counter next to Kianna. It was lunch, and all the students were gathered in the cafeteria. Kianna slipped into the teacher's kitchen, trying to look for a moment of quiet. The exhausted woman nodded her head to Ororo's inquiry, taking the mug offered to her. "Long night?"

Kianna nodded. She couldn't tell Ororo where she'd been last night, but that was fine. Ororo never pried. "Thanks, 'Roro." She took a sip of the coffee. Almost immediately, she spit it out. "Shit! That's _coffee!_ I thought you said _tea!"_ She really needed to get some sleep. 

Ororo laughed, shaking her head. "Try not to stay up too late tonight, okay?"

A little aggravated, and very disgusted, Kianna nodded, dumping out her mug. She washed out the cup and then went to the fridge, hoping she could find something to snack on before she went over to the gym to help Logan with his large senior class. Finding a cup of yogurt and some apple juice - both labeled with Scott's name - Kianna took it. She was going to look forward to the fit Scott would put up about it later. 

Scott ate like a princess, and only got the best of the best. Consequently, Kianna ended up eating the same when she could manage to snag some of his stuff. Most days, he guarded the fridge, waiting for her with a smug smirk. Kianna would have to settle for heading to the cafeteria to find some lunch then. She refused to cook if pre-made food was available. 

"Yum," she moaned, savoring her first spoonful of the mango flavored yogurt. She began to kick her legs back and forth in bliss. 

And that was how Scott found her as he made his way into the kitchen. "KIKI!" he roared, a hand going up to his glasses. Kianna's eyes darted over to him, and she disappeared from sight, dropping the cup on the counter. Kianna ran around Scott, undetected, and from the kitchen. "I'm gonna let the freshmen destroy your car in Shop class!" 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Blade opened his eyes, sensing something was off. 

"Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty. I was just about to lock lips with you. That's fine, I'm still willing to kiss you," Hannibal said, "Pucker up."

Blade didn't hesitate to punch King in the gut. "What do you want?"

From the floor, Hannibal groaned for a few seconds. "Fuck! I just wanted to wake you up for lunch! Damn it... I'll never wake you for food again."

"I don't need to eat." _I like to though._ "Get out." Blade closed his eyes again. Hannibal had no idea what kind of spectacular dream he just interrupted, but he sure felt the consequences of it. 

Unsurprisingly, it was about Kianna. Nothing particularly amazing was going on, at least, that's what an outsider would think. Blade, however, couldn't have asked for a better setting. She was sitting across from him at a glass table, in an all white dress and a golden choker necklace, her feet bare and hair in the same style he'd first seen it in. In her hand, there was a glass of wine. In Blade's hand, a cup of blood. He'd been about to take a sip, unable to stop himself in his dream. Kianna reached across the table and placed her hand over the mouth of the cup. 

_"Drink this, Eric."_ She offered him her glass. He instantly set his glass on the table and drank the wine of hers. _"I'd say it's much better, but what do I know? I've never drank a person dry before."_ She laughed. He still thought it was cute. 

_"Thank you,"_ his dream-self told dream-Kianna. She'd gotten so much closer to him before he'd finished his two-word sentence. Her lips were just a few inches from his, curling in a sly smile. 

_"You're w - "_ and then he woke up, Hannibal's creepy ass standing by his bed. 

"Well, if you feel like not eating downstairs, enjoying some good 'ol fashioned family time, feel free to glare at the floor until it moves, and drop from the ceiling." Hannibal left, rubbing his stomach and grimacing. 

Blade waited five minutes before he went downstairs. He was craving some grapes he knew Abigail kept in the fridge beside Zoe's juice boxes. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"How did it go?" Professor Xavier asked. Kianna always wondered why he ever asked questions if he could simply look, 'cause if she had the ability to just look for herself, she'd avoid talking to so many people. Maybe that was why she didn't have his powers. She'd be irresponsible with them. 

"Okay. I figured out who has been killing the vampires the past twenty times you've sent me on a dead-end chase." She gave him a pointed look, knowing he was likely to have already known that there was another hunter out there. That would have been nice to know beforehand! "His name is Blade. He's gonna text me when he's on a case. I'll just stay behind and wait for it to get handled."

"How about you go handle the smaller groups then, my dear? It is safer, and I don't feel as terrible for sending you out on your own."

Kianna snorted. The professor's eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry, it's just... I'm loopy as fuck, Professor X. I think I'm gonna pass out."

"Ah, I see." He nodded. "Then get some rest. On night that you are feeling able, please do as I suggested. The rise of vampires in the state has increased quite steadily since the so-called cure killed the known ones. These new vampires aren't much stronger, but they're no less deadly for the human population. I would like for mutantkind to be recognized as allies to the humans in this fight."

"I understand." Kianna hated politics, but it was hard as a black woman with the x-gene to keep out of the way things ran in her country. If she was going to end up as the face of the fight, that could mean many great opportunities for people like her. She was proud to help. It was why she became an X-Man in the first place, really. Kianna stood, heading for the door. "See ya, Professor X. I'm gonna go bother - uh, _talk_ to Gambit now, so if you hear any explosions... I didn't do it."

"Goodbye, Kianna. Remember to zigzag and keep in constant motion. He'll have a harder time hitting you then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment, leave kudos and/or bookmark! :)


	3. Chapter 3

___"Hello?"_ _ _

__"How'd the Mayor's ball go?"_ _

__After a couple months of exchanging text messages and a few phone calls, and even upgrading to a better phone (still able to be used without a contract that could be traced back to him), Blade finally got the hang of it. He didn't know if practice was making him better at communicating or if it was from talking to Kianna, but whatever it was, he dug it._ _

___"It was okay, but the Governor is throwing a party in two weeks. That was the one I was really waiting for, ya know?"_ _ _

__Blade didn't know. He didn't attend parties so much as massacre those who did. "Yeah. You've got a dress picked out?" He knew Kianna liked to go for outfits that were suited for her rather than trying to keep up with the latest trends. She mentioned wanting to look back at pictures of herself and recognize the person she saw as her, not someone to be picked apart in a magazine for wearing the season's hottest outfit that cost a fortune and would look a mess the next season._ _

___"Yep! All I need is a date. Everyone's all paired up. Logan and Rogue. Jean and Scott. Hank and Ororo,.. Never felt this lonely before."_ One of her sighs was breathed into the phone. _"Ya know, Professor X says I've gotta start showing everybody that mutants are willing to help with the out of control vampire situation. Do you wanna go with me and show everyone how mutantkind has everything in control? I promise to be a fun date!"__ _

__Blade dropped the phone and his jaw at the same time._ _

~*~*~*~*~*~

"You're going _where?_ " 

Abigail elbowed Hannibal, glaring at him. "Shut up, King." She leveled Blade with a curious stare. "So... Who are you going with? You don't seem like the formal ball type, at least, not by yourself."

"Do I not look always ready to waltz?" Blade questioned, cocking an eyebrow as he held his arms out to his sides. Even without his long, black leather duster, he looked like a hunter. The red under armor shirt of his clung to his frame, defining the muscles in his torso that allowed for him to effectively flip, twist and turn while in battle. His black jeans, substituted for his leather pants he usually wore on missions, were for comfort on his day off. Yes, even notorious vampire hunters had days off. Blade liked Tuesdays. No one did much on Tuesday, whether dead or alive. 

Two derisive snorts were the only answer Blade got. 

"Fuck you." They were a real bitch to talk to. "Anyway, I am going on...diplomatic terms. I am the representative for our little afterschool club."

"That still hurts, man," Hannibal pointed out. "We are way above anything a book club or science club could come up with!" Before Blade could point out that no, not without more members to take some of the strain of things off of them, they were not, Abigail asked, "Who are you going with?" She had a one-track mind, much like her father. 

"Kianna Jones, one of the professors at Xavier's. She teaches Economics and Close Combat. She's one of the ambassadors, and she asked me to escort her." Blade wasn't going to mention how they met. He didn't need to listen to Hannibal mock him about losing kills to someone else. 

"Have fun."

Blade nodded. Of course he would... Just as long as the only people that talk to him, looked at him and touched him were named Kianna Jones.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"You know, I never thought you'd call me in need of a _suit _of all things. Where ya goin'?"__

__Blade, as expected, did not dignify the question with a response. Instead, he growled out, "Can you get me what I need or not?"_ _

__"Whoa, whoa, _whoa _! No need to get snippy. Of course I can get what you need, but you'll have to text me your measurements or come in for - "___ _

____"I just texted the measurements to you. Get it done." Blade hung up. That was the most uncomfortable of calls he's made. Thank goodness for his practice with Kianna._ _ _ _

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I look good."

That was no lie. The suit fit him perfectly - every movement he made was comfortable, unrestricted and natural while in it. He could access his swords with ease. Wait - _his swords!_ How would he get through the door with them on him? Blade picked up his phone, pulling up Kianna's number quickly. 

"Hey-o! What's up, Blade? Isn't it a little early for you to be gankin' some unsuspecting vamp?"

"How am I going to bring my swords to this ball?" 

There was a long pause. "Babe... Honey... _Sweetie_..." Why did Blade feel like she was about to say some shit that would make him feel stupid? "You can just wear 'em. The Governor knows that since there are so many officials around, they are going to need an armed person at their side. I just happen to be bringing my bodyguard as a plus one!"

Blade smirked. That was...cute. "Good."

"I'm so glad you decided to come with me. Thank you so much, Blade."

"No problem."

"You're so brisk, man!" she laughed. The sound made Blade close his eyes slowly and struggle to keep from joining in. It was infectious, filtering through the phone so clearly it felt like she was right there beside him. "I can't wait to see you give these rich white people the stink eye. You're just one of the cools guys, ain't ya?" She giggled a little. "Anyway, just text me your address and I'll pick ya up by 8:00, okay?

He hummed his agreement, hoping that Hannibal wouldn't try to step outside with him to get nosey.

"Cool. Bye-bye, Blade!"

The sound of silence didn't make Blade put the phone down. He was far too busy feeling like he wanted to call her back and tell her he was eager to see her at the party too. He had a feeling she had a low tolerance for fake shit, and she'd get aggravated pretty quickly halfway through the ball. 

"Wait 'til they see us walkin' in. They're gonna rethink every decision they made leading up to that very second." To that thought, Blade laughed. He was almost excited enough to go downstairs and start up conversation with Zoe - she was the only person in the base that didn't get on his nerves, bless that child.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kianna! Are you ready yet?"

_No! I can't even find my damn heels! Fuck this, I'm going barefoot. They won't even see my shoes with this long ass gown! _The mutant woman restrained herself from snapping at the resident ambassador and doctor of Xavier's. Hank was a sweetheart, and that would just be as rude as punching a kitten in the face. "Almost! Just give me a minute... I can't find my heels! I'm going to talk to politicians with my feet bare as the day I was born!"__

__"Didn't you leave them with Ororo. You told her you'd lose them within an hour, and she volunteered to hold onto them for you. I can retrieve them for you if you'd like."_ _

__See? Hank was a sweetheart. "Thank you!" Kianna began to check her hair for the sixth time, trying to make sure that the box braids she had were all set. Half of the braids were up in a bun, and the rest were down her back and adorned with , swinging with her every movement. Kianna liked the style, but she knew she'd get irritated with the constant feel of her hair being everywhere. Regardless, she was pleased with her appearance and hoped that Blade would be too._ _

Over the past few months, Kianna grew a soft spot for the brooding half-vampire. He didn't speak much, but when he did, his straightforward and cutting words reminded Kianna of what would happen if Logan, Scott and Logan's brother Victor Creed were to have a love-child of angst and long-suffering. She liked it. It was cute, really, to listen to him try to get her back on topic after she rambled a bit too much or blurt out a question if she mentioned something strange that happened during her day without elaboration ("...Bobby muttered something under his breath, so she walked through every kid in her way, smacked Bobby so hard he froze his desk - " "What the fuck?!" "I know. I had to give her detention, but Bobby shouldn't have been talkin' shit.").

A knock sounded at her door. Kianna walked over and answered it, taking the shoes from Hank with another thank you. She placed them on, holding onto the door for balance and walked with Hank down the stairs. Waiting for them was Ororo, Hank's date for the night, and she smiled brightly at them as they approached. 

"Not going barefoot?"

Kianna playfully rolled her eyes. Of course Hank told Ororo about her comment. "Let's go before you learn how to make _real_ jokes. I wouldn't want you to suddenly turn into one of us lowly common folk, 'Roro."

"I can make jokes just fine. For example," Ororo gestured toward Kianna. "That is a funny one."

"Oh, ha- _ha!"_ Just for that, Kianna wasn't going to warn Ororo about just who her date was. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was 7:45PM, and Hannibal was posted by the door, grinning at Blade as he glared back. "It would be rude of me not to escort you outside to your date, Blade."

"Leave him alone," Abigail called, even though she was posted at the window, peeking out and watching for any cars. Nothing. She was starting to wonder if Blade made up Kianna just to mess with King. It wouldn't be the first time he's made something up just to watch the talkative man scramble to find something that wasn't there. "What time did, uh, Kianna say she was going to be here again?"

"8:00."

"Ah. We've got fifteen minutes."

" _I've_ got fifteen minutes. You have none. Go to bed, little children, and stop fuckin' spyin' on me."

Both Abigail and Hannibal stared at Blade, gazes blank. Blade sighed. He should have already guessed that they wouldn't respond to that. They were stubborn and intrusive. Neither were going to let him get away with this without seeing Kianna. "Just don't crowd her...or _talk_." He shot a glance at Hannibal from behind his dark sunglasses. 

"I wasn't going to say a thing."

Abigail snorted before Blade could. 

The sound of a radio switching back and forth erratically between Mozart's classics and _When Doves Cry _by Prince. Blade cocked an eyebrow at the arguing and childish insults being thrown about in the car outside. "My ride's here. Bye." He shoved Hannibal to the side, opened the door and stepped outside. Their little base was still located in Manhattan - they weren't moving just because a couple bloodsuckers had beef with them - and they ran it the best they could with just three of them. Nevertheless, the base looked like the fortress it was, its UV lights illuminating the place enough to ward off any vampire that got too close.__

__"Is that a Smurf driving?"_ _

__Blade, too, wondered if it was a Smurf. The being in the driver's seat seemed to have blue fur covering them and the passenger was a black woman with snow white hair that rolled down the window and watched as the back door of the black Escalade they drove up in opened. Kianna stepped out, her floor-length gold gown shimmering under the bright lights of the Nightstalkers HQ. She happily skipped up the steps, making her way to Blade._ _

__"Hey," she greeted, smiling up at him. "All ready to go?" she asked before noticing Hannibal standing there, ogling her as if he never saw a girl before. She backed up a step, eyeing Hannibal with wariness. Blade watched with intrigue as she collected herself and appeared unruffled in a matter of seconds. "Um, who is your drooling friend?"_ _

__"He's not my friend."_ _

__Kianna laughed, reaching out and playfully slapping Blade's arm, Blade smirked a little as Kianna stepped closer to him, now less afraid of Hannibal (and his, once again, creepy staring ass). A uproar of astonished and interested whispers started up from inside the vehicle Kianna just exited. "You are so funny."_ _

__King snorted."You must like graveyard humor." In his typical sarcastic tone, Hannibal conspiratorially leaned in and said, And graveyards - did you know Blade frequents them for his weekly animal sacrifices to the all-powerful God of Frowns?"_ _

__"Dark humor is the best humor." Kianna shrugged her shoulders, ignoring King's attempt at a joke. Blade would have smugly smiled at Hannibal if he were a different man. "Blade's humor is actually the best humor. Take notes, man."_ _

__Now it was King's turn to back up, "I fear you."_ _

__Abigail took that moment to step out, smiling kindly at Kianna, as normal people do. She went around Hannibal to speak to Kianna, not even glancing at him as he muttered about dark souls and fun being sucked out of conversations. "Hello. I'm Abby. I work with Blade."_ _

__"Hello. I'm Kianna. Technically, I work with him, too. He tells me when you guys get the drop on vampire hotspots of the night, and I move onto the other ones that are around if I can manage to find any." They shook hands, once again, as normal people do. Kianna grabbed Blade's arm. "C'mon, Blade."_ _

__He followed her, sending his colleagues a glare over his shoulder that told them if they dared to follow, he would slice them up with his sword and toss their mutilated bodies into the ocean. They both gave him the fakest smiles he'd ever seen in his life and waved goodbye, as if they were a happy little family. He had half a mind to turn around and verbally threaten them to keep from ruining his night out that didn't involve murder. It wasn't like he got many of them._ _

__"How are you doin'?" Kianna asked, smiling up at Blade just as happily as she did upon first greeting him._ _

__Blade cracked a half-smile for her. "Fine."_ _

__"Great! We're gonna have fun, I promise. You and I can make fun of the snooty politicians and drink expensive champagne for free. It'll be a blast."_ _

__"If you say so." He was looking forward to having her by his side for the night._ _


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party and Blade never quite went hand in hand. Kianna is determined to fix that, even if it's at the expense of a couple rich people. Blade digs it.

"Oh! Ambassador Jones, you look _ravishing!_ Women like you must all be so wonderfully...uh, free and bold."

"Ambassador Jones and Professor Munroe, come take a picture with us! You both look so...exotic."

"One more group picture, please? We want for the press to see how tolerate we are of your people." 

"Who is your, um, friend, Ambassador Jones?"

Kianna smiled the same fake smile she kept up all night at the balding man with a comb-over, holding firmly onto Blade's arm so he didn't walk off to stand in a corner. She was a little surprised by the lack of disagreement from him, but, nevertheless she kept her hold on him, if not for keeping him still then for her own personal enjoyment. He had rather muscled arms - probably from swinging a sword around every night. "This is Blade."

"B-Blade?" The man, a low-level official from some state or city, sputtered for a moment. He quit it when Blade tilted his chin down, glaring at the man over the rim of his dark sunglasses. "Uh, um, hello, _Blade._ "

As Kianna suspected, Blade didn't say anything. He just stared for a moment longer, huffed softly and turned his head away, adamantly refusing conversation. If Kianna could, she would also refuse to talk to these ignorant bastards that had the nerve to talk to her like this. They all seemed to generalize mutant females in the same way they did black females, and it was getting on her nerves.

"He's shy," Kianna lied, trying not to laugh. Blade was the cutest sourpuss she'd ever seen. She aspired to be just as salty one day. "It was nice talking to you." She walked away, taking Blade with her. They found Ororo by the finger food, eating a tiny sandwich. Hank was a few feet away, talking to a group of what looked like scientists. 

"This party is boring," Ororo immediately said, pursing her lips in distaste. She hated boring parties. If she wanted a boring party, she'd make Logan in charge of throwing a ball. "I am tempted to make a twister in the middle of the dance floor just to see what will happen."

"Do it, do it, do it!" Kianna jokingly chanted, taking a cracker and nibbling on it. She grabbed another after finishing the first, slowly reaching up, ready to forcefully feed Blade. He hadn't eaten or drank anything all night, and she was honestly worried. It wasn't like he was going to verbalize his hunger. He didn't verbalize very much in general.

Blade grabbed Kianna's wrist. "No. Put it down."

Kianna huffed. "You've gotta be hungry by now." She tried to give him the cracker by switching to her other hand, but Blade caught that one in his grasp as well. She didn't particularly mind. He was much closer to her now.

"I don't need to eat as often as humans."

"That must suck. I love food, man. I eat _a lot._ You would just be sittin' there, watchin' me, judgin' me."

Blade felt his lips twitch. Was she talking about a date? "I'd enjoy it."

"Good," Kianna replied, her eyes darting over to Ororo, who was conversing with a few mayors. "How about we go out next week on Friday? In the morning - Friday nights are busy for us both."

He liked the way she thought ahead. Vampires always crawled out of hiding to spill blood and destroy things on Friday nights. There were so many humans out, partying and unaware, that it was like a vampire's play land. "I'll pick you up this time."

"It's a date."

Blade smiled this time. It was hard not to. "It's a date," he echoed, watching as the look in Kianna's eyes went from confident to slightly flustered. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Stop staring, Hank. Blade will eventually notice."

Hank tore his eyes away from Kianna trying to encourage Blade to get out on the dance floor with her. "Oh, Ro, I don't care. They look so content together. Do you think Charles knows about this?"

"What doesn't Professor Xavier know?" Ororo took a sip of champagne, her eyes fliting around to make sure there was no danger afoot. She really didn't want to ruin her dress tonight with bloodstains and rips. She'd paid a lot to look this fashionable. "It is rather hard for a telepath to miss anything."

"True." Hank nodded. "But, this must have come as quite a shock. Kianna hasn't shown much interest in anyone during her time as a professor."

Ororo shrugged. "All work, no play... Now, she is finally playing, even if it is with a reluctant participant."

"I don't think he is as reluctant as he seems," Hank pointed out, gesturing to the pair. Kianna managed to get Blade onto the floor for a waltz, and surprisingly, the half-vampire was quite the dancer. Strangely enough, Kianna, who Hank knew to be a terrific dancer, kept bumping into people, stepping on long skirts and tripping couples up. "In all my life, I've never seen something so...impossible."

"I don't believe it..." Ororo placed her glass down on the tray of a waiter hurrying by. She turned to Hank, determination in her eyes. "Let's go see what is wrong. Kianna must be getting nervous around him. Perhaps our presence will calm her?"

"Wh - Ororo!" He didn't appreciate being dragged by his tuxedo jacket, even if it was in the name of helping a friend start a relationship smoothly! 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"This is nice. Who are our other targets?" 

"Kick your leg out a little behind you to trip up that snooty couple that called you a _thing,_ " Blade instructed, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses. 

"Gotcha." Kianna was lifted a little by Blade, his warm hands gripping her waist to position her perfectly for the move. She kicked her leg out, and had to fight with all of her power to keep from looking triumphant. "Fuck those guys, right?"

"Right." Blade set her back down on her feet, twirling Kianna around. She spun out, and then came back to him, her right hand coming up to rest back on his shoulder. He almost forgot the thing that Kianna said to him that made him come onto the dance floor in the first place. She was so distracting.

_"We can hit people while we dance. Gotta get some payback somehow." A bright, appealing grin on her face._ Of course Blade caved. 

"I-I'm going to dip you."

"Anyone I'm hitting for this one?"

"No. Just enjoy it."

"With pleasure." Kianna didn't miss how as soon as she was dipped, many people scurried away, fearful of being stabbed by her heels. She smiled up at Blade, and he didn't hold back, smiling down at her just as amused. _He looks so handsome when he smiles..._ She wanted to keep him happy. "I should dip you. It would be cute, and everyone would clap for us. Half because I wouldn't be hitting anyone, and half because they would be surprised you let me."

Blade let out a short laugh. "Don't. I can't guarantee I'll refrain from chopping someone's head off for staring and clapping at me." He lifted her back into a standing position, hands sliding down from her back and up from her leg. Kianna didn't seem to mind him lightly running his fingers over the exposed skin at the slit in her dress. Blade couldn't help himself, wanting to test his luck, his fingers applying a little bit of pressure at the curve of her hips. 

This time, Kianna sighed, her own hands sliding down his chest. He had to laugh as she playfully squeezed, a dirty smile on her face. She was cute. There was no other word to describe her. She was vulgar, and rude and fiery, but she was also insanely cute. He was pretty sure she had the biggest heart too, what with her being a teacher and all. 

Blade knew he wanted her, and that was the most terrifying thought he'd had since finding Whistler's body covered in a bloody sheet. Blade wanted Kianna to know him, to know Eric Brooks, and he never wanted to let her go.

"So, where did you learn to dance?"

"We watch TV at our base."

"Cool. Did you ever watch _Blacula?_ I mean, those movies are shit, but it had to be funny to watch something so stupid."

"Did you ever watch _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?_ "

"...Yes, actually. Cowabunga, dude."

Blade closed his eyes. Of course she watched it. She was cute. "I am more of a _White Men Can't Jump_ fan."

"Oh. Comedy? I pegged you as more of an action or horror guy."

"Watching con artists get into hijinks is funnier than what I handle on my day-to-day."

"Noted. Mutant turtles with a love for pizza are cool to watch because they don't really have too much political propaganda surrounding them. Only a weird dude named Shredder trying to kick their asses. And a rat father." She saw Blade's eyebrows raise. "Too much?

"Too much."

"Too much. Gotcha... Twirl me again. The bitch who called you _one of the good ones_ is doing an awkward shuffle behind you with her husband."

"Fuck her up," Blade cheered on in a whisper, watching as Kianna's eyes lit up with the idea of bowling the woman over.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night, Kianna was in the backseat with Blade, her head on his shoulder, fiddling with his sword. He'd already told her where not to press unless she wanted to get her fingers cut off, and she made sure to take his words to heart. "This is cool. I should learn how to fight with a sword. It would be way better than what I do now."

"What is it you can do, anyway?" He found himself with his arm draped around her, keeping her close. Hank and Ororo said nothing about this, and he wished that Hannibal and Abby would take notes from them. "You seem to have many different powers."

Kianna gingerly set Blade's sword down across their laps. "Invisibility is my favorite, but I... I don't really have a specific power. Just, um, whatever works." She sighed when he gave her a look over the top of his glasses, knowing he needed more information than that. "Uh, when I was born, I was told my father had a mutation that allowed him to adapt to anything. They said he called himself Darwin because of it. I got his mutation, but, it takes me a couple tries before I can perfect what I do, unlike him. He got it perfect every time."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Kianna laughed, but it wasn't her usual joyful laugh. This one held pain, the pain of a woman who didn't get to know her father before he was taken from her life. "Everyone was."

For the rest of the ride, Blade held her closer to him, not saying anything, only offering his support. Kianna was grateful for it. He was the first person to ever realize that when she dismissed the condolences, it wasn't because she didn't care, it was because she hated being reminded that she was missing someone in her life who she knew would have been amazing. 

Kianna was glad she had Blade there for her though. This was nice too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically WWE meets the MCU as Blade and Logan try to maim each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for such a belated update. I've been feeling kind of sick lately, and it was hard focusing on a direction to take this story in. Anyway, enjoy! I hope my somewhat incoherent writing doesn't sound like complete shit and makes y'all giggle or something.

Kianna didn't know what she was doing, but she'd be damned if she wasn't doing it _well._ Sure, there were some complainers and a couple slackers, but they weren't hard to handle. She had everything going quite nicely. 

"I think you're supposed to, uh, teach something..."

Kianna rolled her eyes at Bobby. "I did. I taught y'all that running laps is good for cardio - _and_ \- and I taught you that you don't mess with your assistant teacher just 'cause your main teacher is gone." She crossed her arms over her chest, smiling smugly. 

Kitty raised her hand, not bothering to wait to be called on. "All I learned was that you shouldn't be teaching this class alone, and Professor Howlett should have made _you_ go with the other X-Men to - "

"What was that Ms. Pryde? Did you say you wanted five more laps? Okay! Class, give it up for Kitty! You're gonna do _FIVE. MORE. LAPS!_ "

Kianna had everything under control. Honest. When Logan came back from a super fun mission beating up members of the Brotherhood, she was going to enjoy the whining that came from the students and reached the Wolverine. That would, inevitably, annoy him and teach him never to leave her behind to teach their class alone. 

Call her petty, but no one could deny that she was a woman who got what she wanted. 

"Ain't this a fine Monday mornin'? Hustle, kiddos! Hustle! I wanna see y'all huffin' hard 'nough to be labeled asthmatic if a doctor were to walk up in here! I want - oh, hey, Dr. McCoy!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

_"Yeah, I know... I shouldn't abuse my power as a teacher. But! _But,_ in my defense, it was only fifteen laps and half of them are Junior X-Men. They're used to strict workouts!"_

It was early - well, early for one of their nightly phone calls - about 7:30PM. Blade found himself waking up and thinking about her, so before he knew it, he was calling her. She answered without any mention of the time, and he wondered if she was thinking about him, too.

It wasn't like he was going to ask her. That was a mystery best left in the dark. They _did_ have a date set up just a few days from now, but that could just be a thing she initiated to be friendly. 

He didn't have experience with this. Whistler didn't teach him about wooing a girl along with how to put together a gun while blindfolded. 

Blade felt himself smirking slightly as he replied to Kianna with, "You just said one of 'em coated the floor in ice so they could all start sliding the rest of the way."

_"...I don't recall that, sir."_

Blade moved the phone away from his face. He covered his mouth with his hand and exhaled slowly, trying his best to keep from laughing. Kianna had a very strange technique she used when trying to get her way. His first sign of that should have come from her throwing a phone at him, cussing up a storm and disappearing from plain sight. 

_"Don't laugh!"_

"How do you know I'm laughing?"

_"You always go extra quiet when pretending I'm not funny. Ya know, that would hurt the self esteem of a lesser woman. You're lucky I - "_

_"Kiki, it's your night to cook dinner! I want tacos tonight, 'kay?_ " a loud, gruff voice bellowed. Blade's eyes narrowed. Who the fuck was that? 

_"No, it ain't. Hank is supposed to cook tonight, and - "_

_"'Ro 'n Fluffy aren't in the house. I checked. They might be fuckin' again."_

A long pause came from Kianna's end of the line. Finally, in a whispered tone he knew was meant for only him to hear, Kianna said, _"This fucker just out here tellin' everybody's business."_

"Who is he?" _I did not just ask that. Fuck. I just asked that._

Kianna 'hmph'ed. _"Logan."_

Blade didn't know if he expected the answer to be something that would calm him down, but it didn't. If anything, the strange feeling that settled in his gut from Logan's first words to Kianna - _this motherfucker is out here callin' her Kiki. KIKI?!_ \- increased. He wanted to rip something apart, or yell. 

Hmm. When was the last time he just felt like yelling?

Never mind. That wasn't a good path to go down, ever. 

_"Well, somebody's gotta cook, and it ain't gonna be Scott, 'cause his cookin' sucks, and Jean is workin' in the lab on somethin'."_ Great, this Logan bastard was arguing with Kianna. He was cutting into their damn talk. 

_"Kurt? Gambit? Piotr? Literally _anyone_ else! Why does it hafta be me?"_

_"'Cause ya ain't doin' shit but yappin' on that phone."_

_"You sound like a mom..."_

_"Fuckin' start cookin', Kiki. I'm starvin'."_

_"Go eat one of the wild animals out in the woods or somethin'. I'm fuckin' busy!"_ Blade could picture Kianna rolling her eyes and pointing insistently at her cellphone. The image was cute - as was most images of her he conjured up in his mind.

_"Fuck whoever the hell yer talkin' to. They ain't shit. I'm hungry. Make some tacos."_

Blade was going to murder Logan. He was already suited up. It wouldn't take that long to get to Xavier's, right? About an hour if he obeyed the law, and half an hour if he didn't. So, he'd be there to kick Logan's ass in, like, _twenty_ minutes then.

_"The Avengers wouldn't treat me like this, Logan."_

_"The Avengers woulda kicked yer ass out for bein' rude as fuck. Ya wouldn't get no recommendations outta me."_ A cynical laugh filtered through the phone. 

Blade decided to cut in before Kianna got too wrapped up in conversation with this prick. "I'm comin' over for dinner."

_"Y-You're _what?_ You know how to get here? I'm sure I could call up 'Ro or Hank, and they can get ya here. You don't have to - "_

"See you soon."

Kianna let out a short laugh. _"Yeah, sure. Ain't nobody else got a say in the matter. See ya later, handsome."_

He hung up, satisfied. He didn't know if it was from Kianna's compliment or the fact that _Logan_ heard her say it to _him_ , or even both. Either way, it pleased him to know Kianna found him attractive.

It meant things weren't as one-sided as he worried they were. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, ya work as what? A nanny? A maid? A doctor?"

Kianna kicked Logan underneath the table. She regretted it for a moment, remembering that Adamantium against bone meant pain for her, and only her. "Ouch..." She groaned, waiting it out as her toes healed. 

Logan smirked at her, taking a sip of his beer. He set his calculating, brown gaze back on Blade, sneering. "So, how's it goin' bein' a glorified Van Helsing?

Blade glared back at the burly man. He didn't fucking like Logan, and he was pretty sure Logan knew that. 

It would be hard to ignore considering the first thing Blade said after Kianna let him into the mansion and introduced the two was, "Fuck you, too. _You_ ain't shit." And not to mention the fight that went on for two hours between them, where they carefully avoided breaking things while simultaneously trying to murder each other as Kianna went back to working on dinner. 

Now, Kianna was just trying to make peace and keep the older kids who sat around the table in the dining hall with them from seeing the animosity between the two. "How's the tacos? Hmm?" she asked, looking around with wide eyes, "Good? Bad?"

Murmurs of positive answer came back to her before the kids carried on with their staring between the alpha males at the table.

"Van Helsing, I'm waitin' for an answer."

"How's it being a second-rate, Canadian Freddy Kruger?" 

"Fuck off!" Logan's claws came out. 

"Motherfucker, watch yourself!" It was a mystery how Blade had his sword in hand in just seconds. 

"WHO WANTS TO TRY SOME OF THE DESSERTS ORORO BROUGHT BACK?" Kianna pushed back her chair and scrambled into the kitchen to escape for a moment. She really didn't want to have to regrow a limb because those two fools were feeling the need to show off in front of everybody. 

_Fuck, this was supposed to be a cute little drop-in from Blade, not a genderbent version of _Kill Bill.__ She slung open the fridge, glaring at the various cakes inside. With a little effort, she transported them from the fridge and to the counter before getting out the incentive cream in the freezer. 

"Need help, _ma chére?_ "

"Yes, _flexibel_ , we can help serve the dessert. Stop _Der Fechter_ from killing each other, _Bitte._ "

Kianna whirled around, eyes wide. "Killing? Oh, god... Are the children still in there with them?! Guys, _I'm supposed to be the irresponsible one!_ Not you!" She ran out the kitchen, leaving them with the delicious treats. 

The first thing Kianna saw upon entering the dining room again was the deep gash-like marks on the mahogany table and the cream-colored walls. The second thing she noticed was Blade definitely had his sword through Logan's shoulder, and Logan looked like he was having a hard time catching Blade on his claws at the awkward angle his body was twisted in. 

At the table, a sole figure sat. Kianna watched as Professor Xavier calmly ate his taco, completely ignoring the struggling vampire and feral mutant in the corner of the room. 

"Lovely meal, Kianna!" Professor commented, catching the woman's eye. "Well seasoned, and cooked to perfection, my dear."

"It's hard to mess up tacos..."

"You'd be surprised. It isn't hard to mess up much." He sent a pointed look over his shoulder at Logan and Blade, who were engaged in a heated round of insult trading. "Surprise date nights don't always go as well as planned ones, yes?"

_You cunning old man..._ "I hope my planned date goes far better than, uh, whatever the fuck this shit was."

"I'd love to hear the details when you get back."

Ororo poked her head into the dining room, a bright smile on her face. "Me, too."

"Go away. You left, and I had to cook - "

"And you got to see your boyfriend."

Kianna felt her face go hot, and she began to splutter, hoping Blade heard none of that. "I - You - Shut up!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Blade winced slightly as he felt yet another stitch being put in place on his abdomen. Dr. Grey was a serious-faced woman with fiery red hair and a keen need to assert herself as the person in charge as soon as Kianna hustled him to the medical wing. It made sense, he guessed, considering the fight he just got into was over... What was it about?

Whatever. Fuck it. Logan was a bitch, and if he didn't regenerate so fast, Blade would have won the fight instead of practically losing by the forced forfeit by Kianna's interference. 

"No more rough housing with the resident troublemaker next time, okay?" Dr. Grey said, cooking and eyebrow as she waited for his response. 

He turned his head away to stare at a wall, but halfway there, he caught sight of Kianna leaning in the doorway. She looked a mixture of amused and annoyed. Blade was unsure how anyone could pull of that look, but she did it seamlessly. 

Kianna watched him as he watched her. This was her first time seeing him shirtless, and it was every bit as pleasing as she guessed it would be. "Lookin' good!"

"Hmph..." The corners of his lips twitched. He focused on the space above Kianna's head, hoping to stave off a laugh. 

"You know I'm funny, I know I'm funny - why act like I'm not?"

"Because you're not," both Jean and Blade responded. The pair shared a look, and an instant respect was formed at Kianna's sake. 

Kianna huffed. "I could leave, ya know. Just walk right on outta here... You'd both miss me then."

"Walk away, and we'll see."

"Kiss my ass, Jean."

Dr. Grey finished her stitching. Blade sat up, careful to keep from tearing the fresh stitches. "I don't know how fast you heal, but take it easy for tonight, at least."

Blade nodded once, standing. He didn't bother putting back on his ruined shirt. He slung it over his shoulder instead, and walked to Kianna. She straightened up and looked up at him expectantly. 

"Dinner was...nice," he complimented, walking with her through the twisting and turning halls. He didn't know how she got around. This place was practically a labyrinth. "At least, the food was."

Kianna laughed, nearly falling over. " _That's what you have to say?!_ " she gasped, wiping a tear from her eye. "Dude, you tried killing my coworker!" She laughed a little louder. "He's going to make me takeover his classes for _weeks!_ "


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The real date, and not one that ends in a fight (or maybe it does).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh, I'm salty about TWD and vented a little here. Then, I had to make things turn violent because it's not Kianna and Blade unless things get bloody.
> 
> Even though it's not until tomorrow, Happy Halloween!

Kianna didn't know who thought women looked their best high heels, but she wanted to kick their ass. They were bitches, and bitches deserved to have their asses kicked, no ifs, ands, or buts about that. 

"Quit pouting, Kianna, and try on the black halter dress I got you last year for Christmas," Ororo commanded, lounging across her friend's bed. Kianna was pretty sure Ororo didn't know how to do anything without looking like she was posing for a magazine cover. It was a little unfair how flawless her friend was when Kianna was a total klutz. 

"Why don't you go try it the fuck on?" Kianna retorted childishly, trying to slip off her skirt in the bathroom without falling. She was not going to bother taking off her Heels of Death because there were far too many laces on them. Ain't nobody got time for all that nonsense. "What - _ah, damn shoes!_ \- dress?" Kianna asked after a moment, unable to recall just which her friend was recommending. Sounded familiar, but she couldn't picture it in her mind.

"Black. Halter. Dress." Ororo wasn't going to elaborate. Kianna didn't own very many dresses. 

" _Ohhh._ That's a good one!" _CRASH!_ "Owww!" 

Ororo jumped, looking worriedly toward the bathroom. "Did you die, Kianna?"

"If this is Heaven, I'm not fuckin' impressed. Looks like my small ass bathroom on earth. I wanted an upgrade in the afterlife, Ro."

"Yeah, you're fine."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"She's hot." Both Abigail and Blade glared at Hannibal. "What? She is. _Wayyyy_ less creepy in comparison to my ex. Danica was horrible, and only hindsight has given me clarity. That and the fact that I haven't been laid in months. _Months._ " 

Abigail set down the newest tailored black suit Blade purchased for his date, her hands on her hips. "No one wants to touch you because you're also horrible, King."

" _You_ wanna touch me."

"In your dreams."

Blade sighed through his nose, taking off his sunglasses and setting them down on the coffee table so he could run a hand down his face in irritation. All he came in for was to simply ask if the socks he had would go with his suit. Abigail claimed black always matches with black, but there were so many shades. Blade was skeptical. 

Now, he was stuck listening to these two bicker for who knows how long. 

"Are you two done? I need an answer!" Blade interrupted, taking a seat on the black couch, kicking up his feet. 

Abigail scowled. "I gave you an answer!"

"But, does this black match _this_ black enough?"

"It's all the same!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in irritation. 

Hannibal snorted. "That's racist."

"Shut the fuck up," Blade told him, not wanting to get into this shit with him. It would only end up with him being late in picking Kianna up, and he wanted to make a better statement than that. "Don't you have a play date with your right hand and half an hour of crying to do?"

Hannibal backed out of the room slowly. "Fine! I get it. I'm leaving, I'm leaving... And not because I'm going to go touch myself... I've just, uh, got stuff to do."

"Stuff? Really?" Abigail smirked, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Is _your_ name now Stuff?"

"...Maybe."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Showing up at Xavier's mansion felt much different from his last visit. One of the biggest differences was the fact that Blade didn't feel burning rage and the need to rip off Logan's head once he opened the door. In fact, they exchanged nods as if their fighting never happened. 

Another difference came in the form of the crowd of young people standing by the bottom of the stairs, staring at him with curious eyes. They whispered to each other, unaware of his heightened senses. 

_"He doesn't look like a vampire..."_ a brunette muttered to another that had a strip of white through her hair. "I expected something _much_ different." 

_"What's a vampire s'pose ta look like?"_ the other asked with a southern drawl, smirking teasingly. _"Ain't never met none, I don't think. I mean, my cousin claims she did once, but she also thinks she's a fairy or somethin', so I ain't inclined ta believe it."_

 _"You think he'll let me see his sword? I wanna learn how to sword fight like Michonne from The Walking Dead,"_ a boy said as he manipulated water in and out of a plastic bottle, clearly distracted as he pictured himself fighting off zombies in a post-apocalyptic world. 

_"Nobody's going to let you touch a sword, Bobby,"_ a large kid with a Russian accent told him, quick to kill a dangerous dream. _"Not safe. Besides, Logan has his own swords. We don't need more in the school."_

"Shut up, Piotr. Just for that, I won't let you be in my group. Gonna exile you."

The brunette smacked Bobby's shoulder. "Leave Piotr alone. He could be a Glenn for all you know."

For reason Blade could not understand, Piotr, Bobby and the other girl all looked at her in horror before the other girl started crying. 

"Take it back, Kitty! No one compares to Glenn!" Bobby pat the crying girl's back. Logan shuffled awkwardly on his feet and avoiding looking at them all, likely choosing not to get caught up in whatever upset them. 

"It just ain't right... Just ain't right!"

Piotr covered his ear with his hands. "Lalalalalalalalala..."

Blade huffed. How much longer before Kianna came down and saved him from this? 

It turns out that the answer was not long. Kianna breezed down the stairs in a curve-hugging black halter dress that showed off the toned arms and legs of hers that were clear signs of a fighter. Her heels were gold, a color get was really growing to love as much as red and black, laced up neatly just below the back of her knees. Her makeup was one again smokey with a shimmering quality to it that made her skin glow beautifully. 

He met her at the bottom of stairs, hand outstretched, offering to help her off the last few steps. She took hold of his hand, her palm soft and warm. Not a moment was wasted as she quickly brought herself close to him, pulling him into a tight hug. 

"You look so damn good," Kianna breathed, laughing a little. "Like, fuck, you could kill a couple vamps from being this hot."

"I could say the same for you," he whispered to her, savoring the feel of her arms wrapped around him.

"Oh, gross! Ms. Jones is flirting!" Bobby exclaimed, scrunching up his nose. "I feel traumatized. I don't think I'll be able to go to classes on Monday. I need, at the very least, all weekend to recover, so no chores either."

"Shouldn't you be washing dishes right now?" Ororo asked, coming down the stairs, not bothering to look up from her phone as she went. "Shouldn't you _all_ be doing chores?"

The kids scattered faster than a vampire clan at dawn. Kianna laughed when she turned around to find them all gone. 

Ororo held up her phone, pointing it at Kianna and Blade. "Smile, Kiki! And, Blade, you're heavily encouraged to try doing the same, if that's physically possible for you."

Because he thought Ororo was nowhere near any resemblance of a bad friend to Kianna, Blade put his arms around Kianna's waist and smirked at the camera as the flash went off. 

"Glowing And youthful, as I expected," Ororo commented, looking at the picture with approval. She turned the screen toward them, allowing them a look at it. 

She was right. They looked damn good together. He couldn't remember ever looking in the mirror and seeming so at ease, especially not when he was as out of his depth as he was over here. But, that picture didn't lie. With Kianna in his arms, he looked like the average smitten man - minus the fangs and sword on his back. 

At that moment, Blade knew that if he ever wanted to find any pleasure in his life of vampire hunting and protecting humanity, he would need to know Kianna would be there for him, everyday, with a listening ear and open arms. 

"Ready?" Kianna asked, grabbing his hand and pulling him quickly to the door just as he heard multiple voices of other adults headed their way. He recognized them all from dinner the night before. If they got caught up with them, there would be no way he'd manage to leave with Kianna and make it for their reservation in time. 

"Yeah. Let's go," he answered, leading her toward his 1968 Dodge Charger. Before they could make it all the way, a voice in Blade's head, and Kianna's too, made them pause. 

_Take the black 2017 Ferrari 488. Scott just finished the new paint job after Logan, uh, borrowed it._

Who was he to argue with the professor? This was a better, faster alternative.

~*~*~*~*~*~

He was nervous. Kianna could tell that much just by the way he hesitated before doing anything. Every action he made was second-guessed. His order, the placement of his hands, every sentence he spoke, all of it. 

He was so cute! 

"Let's play a game while we wait for our food, yeah?" she found herself saying, smiling as she watched him reach for his fork before changing his mind and deciding to go for his glass of wine instead. Kianna held back a laugh. Either his mouth went dry or he was seeking liquid courage to calm himself down. 

"A... A game?" 

"Yeah. I ask you a question about you, you ask a question about me. Deal?"

She watched him take off his sunglasses and setting them down on the table. He leveled her with an intense stare, and all she could think of was how eyes like those could really steal your heart. "Deal," Blade answered, and for the first time he hadn't hesitated since they walked through the doors for this fancy restaurant. "But, I get to ask the first question."

"Ask away. I'm an open book." Kianna's hand sought out her own glass, picking it up answer taking a sip to give her enough time to wipe the smug grin off her face. This was the first time that she could remember ever making a man nervous by her presence. Surely, Blade had to feel similarly toward her as she felt toward him. Right? 

"When did you start working at Xavier's?" he asked. It was a question he'd always meant to ask, but never got around to over the phone. 

The answer he got was nothing he would have expected. 

"About ten years ago, and lemme tell you, that _wild as fuck!_ Jean went crazy on us, killed Charles, but also _didn't,_ Logan left, Ororo became the new Professor X, Scott was fake-dead too, and I swear I was five seconds from quitting!" 

Blade blinked slowly, trying to digest all of this information. "What the fuck...?"

"That was my reaction, too!" Kianna exclaimed. "If it weren't for the fact that the pay was so good and if those kids acted like some shit outta _Gremlins_ I would have been so gone." 

Their waiter came by and let them know that their food would be ready in just a moment. They were a little too wrapped up in talking with each other to pay him much mind. 

"My turn," Kianna stated. "How the hell do you get along with Hannibal as a roommate?"

"He's lucky Abby is there to keep me from skewering him. Very, very lucky." Blade rolled his eyes as he thought of his earlier conversation with the duo. 

Their waiter was back, placing their food carefully down in front of them. Kianna thanked tell man, and Blade grunted vaguely at him. Their waiter was pretty smart, and he kept it moving after a quick, "Enjoy your meal!"

The game resumed without a hitch. 

"What is your mother like?" Blade asked. 

"Beautiful, smart, charming, funny and very fucking clumsy. I don't remember a day where she didn't bump into someone, knock something over, break something or hurt herself by accident." Kianna laughed, taking a bite of her pasta. "She used to tell me all the time that the reason she and my dad fell in love was because opposites attracted. He was super safe and she was a walking hazard."

_Opposites do attract._

"What about _your_ mother? You were really vague about her on the phone, hon."

"She was the turned concubine of a vampire who I had to take out. Had to kill her in the end, too."

"Damn. My clumsy mom is a precious gift and yours was a trainwreck."

Pretending to be upset, Blade said, "Thanks. How sensitive."

"I didn't mean to say it like - "

He started laughing. 

"Oh, fuck you, dude! That wasn't funny!"

"Then, you clearly don't know a good joke when it's presented to you!" 

"I'll have you know I'm lookin' at a good joke right now," she shot back, looking him up and down. 

Blade grinned. "You know what? I could storm outta this this place in a heartbeat and leave you with the bill."

"Aw, ya can't leave me here, hon!" Kianna whined, going far enough to pout. "I love your company too much to be all bored by myself." She reached out, taking hold of the hand that wasn't holding a fork. " _C'mon, Blade,_ I look too damn good tonight for you to leave me hangin'. Ya gotta see what an opportunity you've got before you tonight." She was practically purring now. "I promise you'll like what I have in mind."

Once again, Blade felt there was no need to argue with a sound suggestion. "Yeah?" He was 10,000% sure he'd like it too. "What would you like for us to do with the night together, Kianna?" 

"We could go back to my place or y- " Kianna paused, her eyes drifting away from Blade's and looking over his shoulder. She frowned a little. "Seven vamps just walked in, and I'm pretty sure all of them are armed with guns. They're threatening the maître d' with one, telling him to lock the place down so they can eat everyone. I can smell the metal from here."

Blade followed her gaze, letting out a low growl of frustration when he saw what she did. He left his sword in the car. "Can't even get breaks on our days off, huh?"

"What do you mean? This isn't work." Kianna smiled. "This is a new game. It's gonna be fun, I promise! You're my backup!" She stood, bringing her wine glass with her and downing the rest of its contents. "C'mon, sidekick, let's go punch some ugly faces in!"

"Backup? Sidekick? At the very least, we are both regular heroes in this, Ki- "

"Hey, assholes!" Kianna called as she stepped away from the table, interrupting him. She snagged a steak knife off a neighboring table. "Which one of you fucks wanna know what a stiletto to the neck feels like?" She was crouched slightly in a defensive stance, brandishing the knife with a falsely friendly smile. "Any takers?"

Blade stood, taking off his suit jacket. Fighting was gonna be a little difficult with the semi he was sporting, but that was Kianna's fault. He forgot how good she looked when ready to kick someone's ass. "Don't start the fight without me, hero."

She was already breaking the arms of one of the vampires. Playfully, she called back to him just as the bones snapped, "You better catch up, Blade. I'm on number two, and you're just standing there! Slacker!" 

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was 6:52AM, and Blade found himself sitting on the top of a brownstone in Harlem, one arm around Kianna's waist as they watched the sun come up. 

"Wanna bite?" Kianna asked, offering her burger to him. 

They hadn't been able to put a decent dent in their plates before bullets, and vampire ashes went flying. If they went back to either of their places while covered in blood like they were, too many questions would be raised, so they decided to stay out and drive around. It was Kianna's idea to hit up a 24-hour fast food place, with a drive thru.

Blade didn't know how much he enjoyed a nice burger until he wolfed his down along with a large coke and fries. 

"Yeah," he answered before taking a bite, a little happy that Kianna didn't question his hunger. Going without blood made him feel like he was starving. Eating helped, but it didn't completely satisfy the blood lust. Especially not after getting shot through the shoulder like he did hours ago.

Kianna handed over her entire burger to him. "Red meat is good for replenishing blood, right?" She asked when he tried to protest. "I've got my fries...and half of your fries I stole when you weren't looking. Take it."

"I knew it looked like you had more!" 

Kianna laughed, looking away from him and at the horizon just as the first sliver of orange peeked out. "The sun's rising!" She leaned into his side. "This is gonna be pretty. What a nice end to an outstanding night, huh?"

Blade smiled. As far as dates went, Blade was sure this one was a success. "Yeah." He gently ran his hand over her hip, desire running through him as he saw how vibrant she looked in the first light of morning. "Kianna?"

She looked back at him, an eyebrow arched in question. "Hmm?" The sun's shy rays caught just right on her cheek, making her beautiful dark brown skin look like it was glowing. Her afro, thick and dark looked even more defined in the natural light. She looked like the very spirit of the sun itself to him. 

For a second, she studied his face before smirking knowingly. Blade wondered what she saw when she looked at him. Did he glow as brightly as she did? Could he compare? Or was he so dark inside that the sight of him in the morning light was laughable in juxtaposition? 

There wasn't much time for him to dwell on those thoughts. Kianna leaned forward at the same time he opened his mouth to ask what she was thinking. He was silenced as their lips met. Blade couldn't remember a time he'd felt so warm, so peaceful and so satisfied. 

Kianna would never forget the first time she'd ever felt warm, peaceful and satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started a blog dedicated to the stories I have on this site. I was hoping it would give me more inspiration to write and get ideas since I got major writer's block multiple times since starting this story. 
> 
> Here's the link in case y'all wanna message me on there about a song that reminds you of this story, face claims, quotes or anything about my stories: http://simplesisypheantask.tumblr.com/tagged/Variable


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays to all of those who celebrate them! Enjoy!

"And you thought this shit would be a good idea, _why?_ "

Blade shrugged. "She likes that color."

"But..." Hannibal waved his hands around, staring at the gift Blade asked him to wrap. " _Why?!_ "

Once again, Blade shrugged. It was bothering him that King just didn't get it. "I went with my gut. Gold looks good on her, so I figured why not?" He poked the top of the long, rectangular case, thinking about how clever he was. Kianna would surely like his gift to her. He knew she would love it. He loved the idea of making her smile after she opened it. 

"No, not _that,_ man! _These!_ Why the fuck did you get _these?_ What the hell?!" The gesturing towards the gift was wild and exasperated. Yeah, King surely didn't get it. Blade wasn't going to waste him breath explaining. It wasn't like he got it for Hannibal, who he was sure would never be capable of mastering the technique it took to handle the gift Blade got for Kianna. His loss. 

Abigail took a couple of pictures of the gift, zooming in to admire the details. It was beautifully crafted - not her preference, of course, but still wonderful all the same. "She's gonna like 'em," she assured, which Blade didn't need but welcomed anyway because who doesn't like being validated? "Hey, Zoe, look what Blade got Kiki! Cool, huh, kid?" 

The little girl ran away from the dollhouse she was playing with, and looked at Blade's gift with wide eyes, reaching out to touch the shiny metal with careful fingers. A smile stretched across her face, and Blade felt extra proud of himself. "Cool! When is Ms. Kiki coming over again? I like her. She braided my hair and could read braille like Mommy did." 

"Soon," Blade answered, wondering when was the last time he struggled so hard to keep a smile off his face. He was spending too much, and somehow not enough, time relaxed around Kianna. "Kianna wants us to go over to Xavier's for Christmas. I'd pack for a couple if I were you." 

"Really? We're staying over there for a while? Nice." He could practically hear the gears turning in Abby's mind as she nodded her head slowly. "You think they'll let us get a crack at that Danger Room she talked about on Thanksgiving?" she asked, hopeful. "I'd love to get a crack at - "

Hannibal threaded his fingers in his hair, tugging on the brown strands, gaining their attention. He exhaled sharply, glaring at Abigail. "Abby, _babe,_ I'm trying to find out the inner workings of our Daywalker's mind here! I really need to fucking get why the hell he thought buying his girlfriend a pair of _swords_ for Christmas made any goddamn sense!"

They weren't just any swords. They were dual broadswords with golden hilts and black sheaths, neatly placed in a red box-shaped case. Blade knew from watching how Kianna moved when fighting that she could handle two swords better than one. She was a multitasker and a quick thinker. In her hands, these blades would be almost as deadly as his own. He would enjoy every second of teaching her a skill of his that she seemed fascinated by. 

"Because she asked for them," Blade explained, peering critically at Hannibal over the rim of his sunglasses. "What did _you_ get your girlfriend?" he asked, knowing damn well Hannibal forgot to get Abigail anything. 

He blindly reached behind him. "I...got...her...this!" he exclaimed, holding up a picture frame of Abigail and Zoe from the little girl's birthday earlier that year. "It's, uh, something from the heart, Abby. Precious memories are priceless, ya know."

"Nice try, King, but Zoe was the one who made that picture frame for my birthday."

Sure enough, the frame was made of wood, dyed macaroni and loads of stickers, all held together by glitter glue. 

"It's from the heart," Hannibal insisted.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Math. Math, math, math." Kianna scribbled the word down on the blackboard each time she said it. Taking a step back, she spread her arms wide, gesturing to the board. " _Math._ Math, math, m-"

"Ms. Jones, are you just gonna keep repeating that over and over for the next hour?" Kitty asked, twirling a pen in her hand. "'Cause I think we get the point." 

Kianna nodded her head. "I agree," she stated before turning around and writing, "MATH!" one last time. "It's pretty clear that this class involves math, huh?" A couple students nodded, others murmured in affirmation. "Cool, cool... I was worried."

"Why?" Piotr asked. 

"Because last night's homework required for each problem to have a graph that went along with it, _and_ for you to show your work, however... I saw none of that today when I came around to check!"

"Oh, uh..." Rogue shrugged her shoulders, smiling nervously. "Ya sure?"

"Yeah, Rogue, I'm sure." With a sigh, Kianna situated herself on the edge of her desk, looking over the faces of her students. "So, what's up? What did I do wrong? How can I fix it, guys?"

No one spoke. Eyes avoided hers, either staring at their homework marked with red X's or glancing at each other. 

"Nothing?" The silence seemed to get louder the longer it stretched on. "Is this about the trial last night?"

Nods. 

Kianna should've known. A fifteen year old mutant, Tiana Crier, from Queens was being tried as an adult after accidentally injuring three robbers that broke into her home a week ago while her parents were at work. They'd beaten her, trashed the house and nearly killed her after they bagged all of the valuables in the house. 

Those fools didn't see it coming when the distressed girl screamed so loud at the sight of the gun pointing at her that their ear drums burst. The poor girl cried the entire time over the phone with the police and even after the police showed up. 

To be honest, the robbers got off far too easy. Four years in jail at max. But, the mutant girl? They wanted to give her fifteen years for it. The same amount of years she's been alive, they wanted her to be locked up for what they deemed was attempted murder rather than the harmless act of screaming when scared.

And not a damn law was in place to protect her. 

"You guys wanna talk about it? I know it's scary and so _wrong,_ But it's part of the reality we live in. If we address these issues now, maybe some of you can get ideas on how to get involved and rally for the trial to be fair, as it should be. Can we try that?"

For the next hour, Kianna listened to her students. She asked them questions, guided them to the answers they needed, pulled up information on her laptop and projected it for them to jot down, and helped them organize. These were her kids, and she couldn't stand to see them so frustrated and distracted. 

"Okay, guys, class is almost over..." Kianna glanced at her watch and then around the room. "Now, I know that with winter break approaching, you guys have finals to worry about, so how about I do you guys a favor? My final will have all multiple choice questions instead of short answers, graphing and an essay on labor unions. _But,_ I also want for you all to spend the next two weeks before the break trying to do something to help with the Crier case."

"If we protest, and I get video of everyone in class - "

"Yes, Kitty. Everyone caught on video gets credit. I'll give y'all A's on your lowest two quizzes if you guys manage to do something phenomenal. But, if you get arrested, I'm taking two points off your highest quiz grade for making me bail you guys out."

The class laughed. Kianna dismissed them on that note. Did she just encourage her students to protest? Yes. Would she go to the protest and watch out for them? Duh! Was Charles going to give her that familiar, "Really, Kianna? Pick your battles!" look? ...Yeah, that killjoy. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 _"I miss you,"_ Kianna said over the phone a week later. Blade could hear the creak of her bed as she likely launched herself onto it. He could picture her tired body stretched out across sheets he'd bet his right arm were gold. _"It's no fun around here without you."_

Blade smiled. "I miss you, too. It's been a busy week."

_"Yeah. Seems like none of the vampires in New York know how to fucking respect the holiday season and lay off killing innocent people for a while. Makes it hard for us to see each other when we've gotta mow down an entire clan each."_

"I'll see you soon," Blade reminded her. "I've got something for you, too."

 _"You serious? Hey, don't play with me, Blade, I love presents!"_ Kianna started laughing. _"If you're lyin', you're gonna feel like a real asshole since I definitely got _you_ somethin'."_

"You got me somethin'? What?"

_"Show me yours, and I'll show you mine, hon."_

"I like what you're hinting at."

 _"Oh, you do?"_ He could hear the distinct sound of her bedroom door's lock clicking. _"Tell me what kinda other things you like... Whatchu wearin'?"_

"Mood killer."

_"Boy, I'm serious!" Kianna laughed. "Paint a vivid picture for me, hon... For real, whatchu wearin'?"_

~*~*~*~*~*~

Blade took off his gloves before ringing the bell to the mansion, ignoring the sound coming from his right. It was just Hannibal complaining about needing to pee. He should have gone before they left. On Blade's other side, Abigail told Zoe that the reason the snow seemed to stop in a perfect semi-circle in front of the mansion was because there was probably a nice mutant with fire powers inside. Blade wasn't going to mention that Kianna was the one to melt the snow because she forgot her phone in her car and didn't realize it until the storm was over and she wanted to call him. She'd never make the mistake of parking in the driveway again. 

"Velcome!" Kurt said, opening the door and smiling at the three of them. " _Fröhliche Weihnachten!_ Merry Christmas! Oh! You've brought others - I did not know, _Tag Wanderer._ " He stepped aside, motioning them to come inside out of the cold. It was beginning to snow again. 

Zoe saw enough frightening things in her life to not react to Kurt's appearance. Instead, she giggled and walked inside first, greeting Kurt. Brave kid. 

Abigail and Hannibal were different, they jumped a little in surprise. Before Hannibal could make a rude comment that would upset Kurt, Blade elbowed him and stepped inside after Zoe. Hannibal muttered a few curses and glared at Blade, coming inside after Abigail. 

The hung up their coats, handing their gifts for Kianna over to Kurt as they slipped them off. Zoe's gift, the smallest one that was perched on top, slid off, but Kurt caught it with his tail, bowing a little when Zoe clapped at the catch. 

"Everyone is gathered around the tree," Kurt told them, guiding them over to the large common room where the sounds of gift wrap being shredded to pieces. Loads of kids sat on the floor or couch, stood by the tree or leaned against the wall, exclaiming happily at the sight of the gifts they revealed from underneath brightly colored paper. The sheer number of them was enough to make Blade frown. He knew these were the kids that didn't have homes to go back to during the holidays. 

From the entrance to the kitchen, Kianna appeared, cupping her hands around her mouth. "ONE PRESENT, GUYS! ONE! CHRISTMAS IS TOMORROW, KWANZAA IS THE DAY AFTER, AND HANUKKAH _JUST_ STARTED! CHILL!" Multiple groans filled the air, along with a few mumbles of, "Oops," from the kids who were working on ripping open their second or third present. Kianna snickered before walking around, picking up discarded wrappings, commenting on some of the gifts she saw being removed from plastic packaging. 

Blade stepped forward and caught her arm before she could go by, smirking at her bright smile she flashed him. "Hey."

" _Hey,_ " she sang, wiggling her eyebrows. "How are you?" she asked before pecking his lips, momentarily blocking his train of thought. 

Before speaking, Blade stole another two, three, four kisses, delighted with the low moan he drew from her. "Uh, good. You?" He looked pointedly around the room, noticing that one of the boys got the latest PlayStation and was hooking it up to the giant flatscreen with the help of the Piotr. It was about to get much louder. 

"Oh, it's just another day here," Kianna answered, waving her hand flippantly. "...Just with more trash on the floor, sugar rushes that last for hours, and music I won't be able to escape from until the holidays are over."

"Sounds like a nightmare." He brought her closer to him, his arms holding her gently and tightly at once. "A festive nightmare."

Kianna shrugged, sighing as she hugged him back. "Just another day."

"Ew, I come baring gifts, and instead of getting praise, I have to watch you two cuddle."

"Shut the fuck up, King," Kianna hissed before Blade could, making the Daywalker smirk smugly at the former vampire. "You're ruining it."

Because he was an asshole, and because annoying people seemed to be his mission in life, Hannibal got uncomfortably close to them both, wrapped his arms around them and whispered, "Ya know, this is actually nice. I just hope you guys can't feel how hard I am. That would just make this weird. Let's not make it weird."

"Too late," Abby growled, yanking him by the back of his sweater away from the couple. She rolled her eyes at the grin he gave her. "You're gonna try and be a problem for what little is left of this year, aren't you?" she asked, grimacing as he nodded enthusiastically. 

"Zhey brought gifts for you, Kianna!" Kurt said, smiling. Gleaming white, sharp fangs were on display, and it took everything in Blade not to take the smile as a threat. If they weren't his own fangs, Blade got wary. "Open zhem!" Kurt excitedly commanded, holding the pile of gifts in his arms out to her. 

"Bup, bup, bup!" Hannibal slapped Kianna's reaching hands away, making both her and Blade shoot him vicious looks. He either didn't see the looks or didn't care because he purposely plucked Blade's gift out of the pile. "Merry fucking Christmas, and happy fucking holidays!" 

Kianna kept glaring. "Keep your goddamn voice down, asshole. Children are present." She snatched the gift away from him, holding it with one arm to her chest as she pushed Hannibal away. "Go get embarrassingly drunk off the spiked egg nog Logan is guarding with his life." 

She didn't have to tell him twice. He was gone in a split second, pulling Abby along with him. Blade watched as Zoe made her way over to a group of little girls playing with their dolls, fearlessly asking if she could play too. The girls were more than happy to have another girl to help with their fantastical world-building. 

" _To: Kianna, From: Me._ Oh, I wonder who got me this," Kianna sarcastically said to Kurt, grinning. Kurt laughed, his pointed tail waving back in forth in suspense. Kianna flipped the latches holding the red case closed with one hand as she held it with the other, lifting the lid delicately with curiosity burning in her eyes. As soon as she saw what he got her, Kianna let out a breathy laugh, a wide smile on her face. She whipped around to face him, an emotion in her eyes he couldn't decipher. "Oh, my god!" 

He allowed himself to smile even though Kurt was right there and watching them. It wasn't like Kurt was the type to mock people. "You like?" 

"I fuckin' love 'em! Blade! This is amazing!" She crouched, placing the case on the floor and picking up the swords, carefully holding them in her hands as she slowly straightened up. She pointed the blades downward, mindful of the little ones in the room that were very likely to accidentally run into the blades in their festive joy as they bounded around the room. Almost shyly, Kianna looked at him and asked, "A-Are you gonna teach me?"

"Of course." He wasn't prepared for Kianna setting her swords down before jumping into his arms. She kissed his face, her arms hooked around his neck to keep him in place. It, like any other display of affection she showed toward him, was accepted with ravenous desire. 

As the couple unknowingly made a spectacle of themselves, Kurt smiled. Love was beautiful on its own, but with the holidays added in, this was just fantastic! _Wunderbar!_

~*~*~*~*~*~

Seeing all the people Blade came to know over the past few months sitting around the table, passing dishes around and chatting was strange. He never would have guessed he'd be having a Christmas dinner anytime soon. Usually, Christmas was spent finding as many vampires to kill to prevent himself from thinking about the holidays.

Abby took a shine to Ororo and Jean, and it didn't take a psychic to tell that she would be making many visits to Xavier's mansion in the near future. Hell, Hannibal was drunkenly grumbling about them needing a permanent room in the house if Abigail was going to run away from the Nightstalker team for friends with powers. Everyone ignored him accordingly. 

Zoe was somewhere eating with the little kids, and Blade could hear the sound of them chattering as children do - with little coherence and much liberty taken with the details. 

Beside Blade, Kianna was bragging about her gift from Blade to Logan. This was much to Logan's disdain as Kianna's bragging was less, "I'm so happy I got swords!" and more, "I'm gonna kick your ass like Blade did! _Times two!_ " It was adorable, and Blade couldn't keep the arrogant look off his face as Logan kept shooting him dirty looks. This was the second best dinner Blade has ever had, the first being his date with Kianna. Blade slung his arm over the back of Kianna's chair, listening to her threaten bodily harm toward Logan with a beaming smile on her face. That look hadn't left her face since she first got a look at her gift. 

In that moment, Blade wanted nothing more than to have her know every single piece of information about him. He wanted her to know not just Blade, the Daywalker that killed vampires with quick precision, but also Eric Brooks, the abandoned orphan that wanted nothing more than a place in the world. He wanted for her to know that because right now, with the sound of her bubbly laugh in his ears, Blade knew he found that place. With Kianna, Blade was grounded and living out experiences he never thought would be fulfilled. 

Later that night, when the mansion was quiet, and everyone was asleep, including the impulsive, passionate and daring woman beside him, Blade whispered three words he couldn't find himself quite ready to say to her while she was awake. The silence that answered back was both relieving and frustrating. Just once, he would like to hear someone say they loved him. Just once.


End file.
